Mortimer Brockert
April 03, 2022 11:53 AM
Returning Feast by Mortimer Brockert
Ah the holidays. Same crap, different years. As usual the midterm break had been full of forced socialization, saccharine atmosphere, and putting up with Eustace’s consistently abominable behavior-honestly, he had the child that he had and was unlikely to get another one, so Mortimer wished he would let it go. Anyway, the Headmaster wasn’t necessarily against familiarity, but when it was something that he did not like, well that made it very irritating. Not that he wasn’t constantly irritated in general, but the holiday season somehow managed to be irritating in a very boring way.The only even remotely interesting thing that happened was Topaz putting her own take on the Twelve Days of Christmas-the most irritating holiday song in existence-by taxiderming seven swans a swimming, six geese a-laying, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. Obviously she couldn’t taxidermy people, but Mortimer had been forced into attending many society balls and seen plenty of ladies dancing and golden rings.
As usual, he was glad to be back at Sonora, even though most teenagers were totally and completely obnoxious. At least he really didn’t have to interact with them that much. Besides, he firmly believed that education was one of the most important things in life, and so, was passionate-as much as one could ever consider him to be-about making sure that happened. Even if it did mean having to deal with irritating people. Which, come to think of it, was a redundant phrase if Mortimer had ever heard one.
Anyway, once everyone had assembled in the Cascade Hall, he stood up and cast Sonorus on himself. “Welcome back. I hope you have all had a nice break.” Why did he always say that? He really didn’t care. If they had one, great. If not, it wasn’t his problem. The emotional well being of those attending the school, was something that Mortimer was ill-equipped to deal with and not especially invested in, so long as it didn’t affect the safety of the students or cause problems for him in the form of complaints or lawsuits.
He continued. “Before we eat, I have one quick announcement. As you know, the school fair is this year and we have decided to have a carnival.”Which, in the end, was the easiest thing possible.”Also, the school alumni have been invited back to showcase what they have done post-Sonora.” Which could be interesting for some, more so for the potential reunions it would bring than anything career-related that came up.
Subthreads:Aladren
First of many lasts by Ellie Alperton with Rosalynn Tellerman
Back again already? by Lazarus Jareau-Fletcher
Teppenpaw
Year One Round Two by Lenny Pierce with Leviosa Scurlock
Hooray! (Hans) by Liesl Brockert with Hansel Hexenmeister
Pecari
Let's make one thing clear. [Billy] by Reighleigh Mae Thorn with Billy Cobb
Peopling by Oz Spellman with Fortune Ardovini
Peas please by Theo Spurn
Crotalus
Staff
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Mortimer Brockert
Returning Feast
6
1
5
Reighleigh Mae Thorn
April 03, 2022 6:47 PM
Let's make one thing clear. [Billy] by Reighleigh Mae Thorn
Ray had spent the first term of Sonora mostly just getting by, living life in the usual routine of mischief with Billy, class with Billy, homework with Billy . . . oh, and occasionally spending time with Iris and other folks too. It wasn't as if Billy was her only friend, just that he was her only actual friend and she only half-liked most of the other people she called friends. There weren't that many people in that category either though, to be honest.However, she'd spent the break with her mother and father both, which was weird. Things had been rocky in both their most recent
Her mother's own relationship wasn't the only one on her mind and she'd made it perfectly clear to Ray that it was high time she start thinking about her own love life and social circles. Ray thought that was stupid for a lot of reasons, not least of all because she was a friggin' child still. The whole conversation had turned her head in ways she didn't appreciate and now she wasn't entirely sure how to think her way around it. As such, the only thing to do was to nip all of that nonsense in the bud before it got weird.
She made sure to grab a seat next to Billy at the feast and blah blah blah, Headmaster Pez Dispenser said some annoying stuff (but actually the carnival sounded pretty interesting), and then it was food time. And conversation time. Immediately dumping some potatoes on her plate so she had something to fiddle with, Ray looked at Billy as she launched into her topic of choice, preempting his own opportunity to speak first.
"Hey, so my mom thinks that I should find a husband or something basically now. I think that's stupid. But to keep me from being paired off with someone stupid and horrible, do you just wanna go out or something?"
None of that was actually what she'd meant to say but uh . . . well, there it was. She shoved too much potato in her mouth and tried to force it down her throat with a cup of pumpkin juice.
22
Reighleigh Mae Thorn
Let's make one thing clear. [Billy]
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0
5
Billy Cobb
April 04, 2022 6:23 PM
I like things that are clear. by Billy Cobb
Billy arrived back at school in a sullen mood. Winter break had been terrible. It had been better than last year's, but it had still been terrible. They'd been all but penned up inside with the snow almost the whole time, he almost thought that being at school might have been better. Almost. He'd gotten out a bit, but it was cold and wet and just pure winter ridiculousness. He hadn't been able to go where he wanted to go and now he wouldn't get a chance again until summer break. Ma and Pa thought that the snow had also been a good excuse to keep their distance from the rest of the family, which meant things weren't really weird on that front.He made his way into the hall and flopped down at the Pecari table, just like he was supposed to do. Billy wasn't sure if he wanted to admit it at this point, but there was really only one thing that might make him feel a little better. Then she sat down next to him. He tried, but the grin forced itself onto his face completely against his will. It was nice to see a friendly face again, even if she didn't necessarily look all that friendly. He'd figured out a long time ago to not try and read to much into Ray's expressions.
After the headmaster did his talking bit he turned immediately to Ray, all set to complain about his winter woes and such. He grabbed the nearest food thing in the process because he was hungry and didn't really care what it was. She beat him to the punch on the talking though.
There was a bunch of stuff in her statement for his brain to process. He blinked slowly as it started to work through the info. As usual, before it was done, his mouth had already said the word, "No." At that point his brain seemed to sit back, cross its arms and say 'Alright mouth, go for it, what are you doing?'
"I'll go out with you 'cause I like you, and we have fun together," Billy's mouth continued, "If there are other reasons," he kinda waved his hand dismissively at those 'lesser' reasons, "fine, but I'mma gunna do it for the reasons I like best." After which he stabbed whatever it was he'd put on his plate and stuck it in his mouth. It was terrible and he nearly gagged on it.
A full glass of water washed whatever it was down, "Gah! Smack me if I ever put that stuff on my plate again." She had potatoes and those seemed safe, so he grabbed some as well. "So, other than your mom being...." She'd said 'stupid' but his brain threw some override switch, insisting that a better choice of words might be better, "...your mom, how'd break go? Mine sucked."
2
Billy Cobb
I like things that are clear.
1519
0
5
Reighleigh Mae Thorn
April 04, 2022 8:56 PM
I'm not sure if we've really accomplished that. by Reighleigh Mae Thorn
Ray wasn't about to pout at being turned down as her ego wasn't sure which was worse: rejection or disappointment. She didn't have a chance to come up with any other response either though before Billy continued. He liked her? Like in the dating sense or in the friendship sense? She sort of wished she'd been more clear on whether she was asking him to go out just once or on an ongoing basis. With labels. She wasn't sure now which one he meant either. In any case, the matter seemed settled, and she wasn't about to start discussing feelings with Billy, that would be weird. Especially at dinner.She blinked a few times rather quickly, trying to rewire her brain into doing something normal, like making her mouth say words or . . . yeah basically just that.
"Great," she managed as Billy chugged his own chaser of choice. She raised an eyebrow at him when he denounced the food he'd eaten. Glancing at his plate, she realized he'd taken the garnish from the dish of roast chicken where she'd grabbed potatoes. "That's parsley," she told him, reaching over to scoop it off his plate and onto hers. She wasn't sure why that quasi protective instinct always kicked in with Billy; it just seemed instinctual to try to help him or take care of him. Or give him a hard time. "Unless you're a flobberworm, I don't recommend it."
She considered for a moment whether she wanted to explain more about her mom being her mom but since that had led to them possibly now dating, she wasn't sure launching into that was wise. Especially since it had turned out that Billy actually maybe just wanted to date her all on his own and she was much happier right now than she'd really expected to be.
"It was alright. It's weird going 'home' and it doesn't feel like home at all," she grumped, stabbing another potato. "Why did your break suck?"
22
Reighleigh Mae Thorn
I'm not sure if we've really accomplished that.
1525
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Billy Cobb
April 06, 2022 4:35 PM
What makes you say that? by Billy Cobb
Billy eyed up the offending food bit that apparently wasn't food, but was still on the food plate with the food that should be eaten even though it shouldn't be. Wizards were just weird. "You're not gunna eat it, are you?" He asked, watching it carefully where she'd put it on her own plate, as if it might spring to life at any moment and attack her. "'Cause, I can tell ya from experience, it's not very good and yer way to pretty to be a flobberworm."If Billy knew one thing about having a girlfriend (which he now did), he knew that he was supposed to compliment her. That was one of them things that Aunt Emily had made sure he knew well and good. There'd been plenty of other things as well, he'd have to see if he could remember any of 'em later. He pulled some of the chicken from the serving plate onto his own. He was pretty sure this part he could eat.
"Mine kinda felt like that to," Billy commented about his break. "We had gigantic piles of snow and couldn't really go out nowhere." He stabbed at the chicken on his plate, "I had some big explorin' plans while that stupid bear was hibernatin'." He shoved the chicken in his mouth and chewed on it a bit aggressively for a moment before swallowing it. "Instead I got to spend way to much time trapped inside listening to Aunt Emily drone on and on about girls and stuff."
It was about this point that his brain finally connected some things. "It was a little like what you said yer mom way saying to you I think. Apparently back home there's only a couple of girls I'm allowed to marry for some reason, and she was talkin' about them. I don't much like any of 'em, they're boring. But, unless I did like Uncle Bert did and find me a girl off the mountain, I'd be stuck with one of them." He sighed and took another bite. The lack of exploring that house had been the bigger thing on his mind, but now Aunt Emily seemed like a worse problem.
"So I dunno what I'm gunna do," he said to Ray, "Got any ideas...?" The question trailed off as he looked at his new girlfriend, his brain was busy trying to figure out if his mouth had actually solved a problem before it had a chance to realize there was one.
2
Billy Cobb
What makes you say that?
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